The Nation - October 12 1998

Shrimp farm ban review urged

THE House Committee on the Environment on Wednesday suggested that the strict measures against inland-shrimp-farming should be revised to help environmentally-concerned shrimp farmers.

Ongart Klampaiboon, a spokesperson for the committee, said the panel would propose that the National Environment Board group shrimp farmers into those who use open-system and closed-system farming. Only farmers who run open-systems should be banned while the closed-system inland shrimp farmer should get permission to continue with their businesses.

The prime minister's order on July 13 to completely ban inland shrimp farming was not fair on the operators, he said, adding that there were many shrimp farmers running the business without having any negative impacts on the environment.

''The order had been based on distorted information because the National Environment Board, which recommended the premier issue the ban, used a case study from Songkhla's Ranote district to make his decision,'' he said.

According to Chalor Limsuwan, an academic from Kasetsart University's Faculty of Fishery, who reported to the committee, shrimp-farming in Ranote was being run on an open-system which is very hard on the environment, while the system being used in the Central Region's fresh water area is a closed one.

He said closed-systems did not release waste water into natural waterways and guaranteed that the farming would not make the soil saline.

Payug Bhattharakulchai, an inland shrimp farmer, said most of the farming done in fresh water areas was being operated under closed-systems. However, he did not state the total area of land used for closed-systems.

BY PENNAPA HONGTHONG

The Nation